Google data center capped at 2M gallons of water a day until infrastructure upgraded
The Western Virginia Water Authority has capped Google's data center water usage in Botetourt County, Virginia, at 2 million gallons per day. This is despite a contract allowing up to 8 million gallons, as the current infrastructure cannot support higher demand. Future expansions depend on usage and infrastructure upgrades.
Officials with the Western Virginia Water Authority have confirmed that Google's data center in Botetourt County, Virginia, is currently limited to using 2 million gallons of water daily. This restriction is in place despite a contractual agreement between Google and Botetourt County that would allow the tech giant to request up to 8 million gallons per day.
Laura Schirmer, Public Relations Program Manager for the Water Authority, stated that the current infrastructure is not prepared to meet a demand exceeding 2 million gallons. She emphasized that the Authority would decline any requests beyond the present cap until necessary infrastructure and water supply upgrades are in place. The potential for future expansions to the water system is entirely contingent on the data center's usage levels.